Our trip is nearing its end. All that’s left is a bit of physical work this morning at Common Hope preparing building materials for a Vision Team that is coming down after us and some R and R in Antigua. I must admit that the thought of returning home sounds quite nice right now. We’ve had a FANTASTIC experience, full of great adventures, learning and fun. But I’ve hit my threshold a bit for taking in new information. Our days have been so packed full of experiences that it’s hard for me to step back and process it all. I look forward to sitting at home or up at the cabin in the next few weeks and being able to do that.
Yesterday was quite a day. Renato from Common Hope gave us the whirlwind look at a lot of what his organization does. And he did it in less than eight hours.
Okay, back now. Now I'm sitting in the little interior courtyard of our Antigua hotel. We checked in here a few hours ago after enjoying more of what Common Hope had to offer.
But back to yesterday. After visiting San Rafael and the school there, we came back to Common Hope where Mich, Andrea and I were each paired with a social worker. We then drove a van into some of the villages near Antigua. In each various place, one of us got off the van with their social worker. The social worker I was with (can't remember her name!) and I debarked in the small village of San Miguel Escobar. It was there I met Jackeline in this photo along with her little brothers.
The experience in San Miguel Escobar truly became one of the most enriching experiences I have had in my several times coming down to Central America. Here I followed the social worker into several homes where she visited the families to check up on them and to see what, if any, needs or concerns they had. This is a big part of what Common Hope does, and it's a normal experience for volunteers to tag along. At first I thought I would be an intrusion, but I was assured that this was a very typical thing. These families have become very used to it.
Anyway, we knocked on the doors of about six homes of Common Hope affiliated families, several of which had no one at home, or the mother or father were gone. We entered two homes. Each home was very different. In the first was a boy of 13 years who had dropped out of school. The social worker visited with him for at least 30 minutes talking with him about all the problems he would face later in life if he doesn't finish school. She had a very difficult time getting through to him. He did not engage, and he barely said a word. On a couple occasions small tears fell out of his eyes. It was a sad situation. Clearly the boy is on the verge of falling into a life of endless poverty and struggle. Yet, he says that school is too difficult and that he does not want to attend.
The other home we visited was the home of Jackeline. Jackeline and her brothers, though facing huge struggles ahead, were very bright eyed and energetic. When we arrived they were picking limes from a tree inside the tiny courtyard of their home. This was a much different experrience from the first home. These kids seemed happy, intelligent and optimistic for the future. I was so taken by Jackeline, with her energy and her smile, that this morning I asked if I could become her sponsor.
Her mother and their family have just recently become affiliated with Common Hope. They have many needs. I was told by the social worker that families are given classifications of red, yellow and green, red being the worst situation. She explained to me that Jackeline's family, right now, is considered in the red category. Their mother works all day long, coming home sometimes not until 8:00. And with those long days, her monthly income is only around $104. But with the help of Common Hope's programs, the future may be brighter for this family. It makes me very emotional to know that this family is now receiving some assistance, and that I am doing a small part to help make that happen. I will remember Jackeline and her smiley face for a long time to come. And hopefully I can visit her again some day.
